A Better Tomorrow
by xxCallMeAmyxx
Summary: Severus doesn't have a happy childhood. Written for The Quidditch League Fanfiction Competition Round 1. (Trigger warning for physical abuse)
**For the Quidditch League, Chudley Cannons, Chaser 1. Prompts: 2: Unpleasant, 9: Anger, 13: Tomorrow. Thanks to Ned for betaing and uploading!**

* * *

Severus hated when there was shouting. As soon he walked in, the unpleasant sounds filled his ears. He never knew who was the victim with his parent's relationship; Severus's dad was always full of anger, he was always drinking and getting red faced, but his mum would usually provoke it. She would make some snarky remark or move his father's wine where he couldn't find it. Then his father would take his belt off.

Severus shuddered just thinking about it. It had always been that way, ever since he was young.

* * *

Severus was three. His mother was staring at his father, who was drinking whiskey, in disgust.

"Do you always have to drink? You do it all the time. We have a young child, he'll pick up bad habits."

"Our son can pick up whatever habits he wants to," Tobias said, his words already starting to slur.

"That's not the way things work," Eileen replied. "If you drink around him, he'll think it's okay. It's not okay."

"Tsh. What do you know? You're just a woman."

Eileen's eyes glinted. "A woman? I'm just a woman? Well, would you like to see what 'just a woman' can do?" She rose to her feet, glaring at him.

"Whatever you think you can do, I can do also. Better." Tobias rose as well. He held up a hand and when he lowered it again, Eileen's face was red.

* * *

Severus was pulled out of his thoughts with a real life slapping sound. He flinched. Anytime now, he would be summoned downstairs or someone would come up.

* * *

Severus was five. He had just been outside, having fun in the fresh mud, being a kid. His parents were fine for once, or as fine as they could be, at least.

Severus ran inside to his mother.

"Mummy!"

"Sevvy!" she replied, not seeming to care that her child was covered in mud. His father did though.

"Eileen, what is on our child?"

"Some mud, Tobias. Let him be a kid."

"Some mud? Some mud? He's covered with the filth!"

"He's a child."

"He's a child of mine, Eileen, and no child of mine will be covered with mud. You should have been out there watching him," Tobias said, getting up. His parents seemed to have forgotten that Severus was in the room still.

"So now it's my fault," Eileen muttered. "You could've been outside just like I could. You're his father. Act like it."

"You're his father. Act like it," Tobias mimicked, about five octaves higher than his normal voice. "That's bullshit. I act like a father."

"How?"

"I make sure my wife is staying in line." He began to unfasten his belt.

Eileen knew it was coming but she held her ground. She wouldn't show fear, she wouldn't let him be satisfied. As the belt came down, there was a split second of fear, Eileen flinching, but she remained standing in the exact same spot.

Everything stung after, physically and emotionally. Eileen turned to her son, still in the room, standing in the corner, looking terrified.

"Sevvy, come let's get you cleaned up."

"Yeah, run away!" Tobias called after them. Eileen ignored it.

* * *

His father ended up coming up to Severus's room.

"Where have you been? I gave you no permission to go out," Tobias snarled. "Come here."

Severus stood and faced his father. He could smell the stale smell of brandy; his father had been drinking again.

"You know what happens when you don't listen to the rules."

"Yes, sir." Severus braced himself. It wasn't as if it was something new.

* * *

Severus was ten. His Hogwarts letter came. Tobias looked at Eileen accusingly.

"Looks like our kid caught some of your freakiness," he said to her angrily "I thought you gave that up."

"That's not how it works," Eileen said through gritted teeth.

"Kid!" Tobias boomed, ignoring her. Severus came downstairs.

"Yes?"

"You got a letter." Tobias thrust the letter toward Severus.

"It came," Severus said after finishing it.

"Yes, dear, we'll go and collect your things on Wednesday," his mother replied.

"Hold on," his father interjected, "I didn't say that."

"Yes, but your 'suggestion' wasn't very good, so I think I'll take him on Wednesday."

"What was-" Severus started to say, but he was cut off.

"Well I don't think you are in charge of what happens." Tobias raised his hand and Severus thought that he was going to slap his mother. It happened so fast that Severus only had his pain to count on what happened.

His father's hand switched direction and instead of Eileen getting slapped, Tobias's hand went down on Severus's face. Pain rushed through him, physical and emotional. His own father...

"We'll knock the freak out of him."

* * *

The slap stung, but not as much as it once did. Sometimes it was just annoying, not painful.

He missed Hogwarts, it was so much better than home;there was magic, neither of his parents were there and he had his friends. Especially Lily.

At home, there was no Lily.

Lily had moved away and she no longer lived near him. Severus would only see her during the year. If he closed his eyes her could still see her image.

Severus hated going home, but he had nowhere else to go.

He hated everything about his home. His mother, his stupid father.

He knew that there would be no better tomorrow. There never was.

* * *

 **Words: 902.**


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